Coda alla Vaccinara (Roman Braised Oxtail)

Ingredients

• 4 lb oxtail, cut into segments
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 oz guanciale or pancetta, diced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 4 celery stalks, 2 chopped and 2 reserved whole
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups beef stock, plus more as needed
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 whole cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp pine nuts
• 2 tbsp raisins, soaked in warm water and drained
• Salt, to taste

Before you cook

• Pat the oxtail segments dry and season with salt.
• Chop the onion, carrots and two of the celery stalks.
• Cut the remaining two celery stalks into 2-inch batons.
• Soak the raisins in warm water to plump them.

Steps

1. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat.
2. Brown the oxtail pieces in batches until deeply colored on all sides, about 10 minutes per batch, then set them aside.
3. Add the diced guanciale to the pot and render it for 3 minutes.
4. Add the chopped onion, carrots and chopped celery and cook for 8 minutes until softened.
5. Return the oxtail to the pot and pour in the white wine.
6. Let the wine bubble for 2 minutes, scraping up the browned bits.
7. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, beef stock, bay leaves, cloves and black pepper.
8. Bring the pot to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook on low heat for 3 hours, checking occasionally and adding more stock if the sauce reduces too far.
9. Bring a small pot of water to a boil and blanch the celery batons for 2 minutes, then drain.
10. Heat a small spoonful of the braising sauce in a skillet and add the blanched celery, pine nuts and drained raisins.
11. Cook the celery mixture for 5 minutes until the celery is tender.
12. Stir the celery mixture and the cocoa powder into the main pot.
13. Continue simmering, uncovered, for 30 minutes until the oxtail is falling-apart tender and the sauce has thickened.
14. Discard the bay leaves and whole cloves.
15. Taste and adjust the salt.
16. Serve the oxtail hot in its sauce with crusty bread.